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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252321">Cingulomania</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyko/pseuds/tinyko'>tinyko</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fix-It, M/M, Molly Lives AU, That's it, it's just a stupid au where molly lives</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:15:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,244</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyko/pseuds/tinyko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After having continuous dreams of the moon, Leo asks for a reason and gets something he thought he'd never have. </p><p>Cingulomania; the strong desire of holding someone in your arms.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mollymauk Tealeaf/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cingulomania</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is fast paced and a lil crappy but ive been sitting on it for a Hot Minute</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s cold, so very cold. It bites at the young man’s face and bare arms. He holds his arms around his chest, rubbing his hands up and down, his long black hair whipping around his face, snow and ice pelting his skin. The snow is nearly knee deep as he keeps moving forward, uphill slightly. Suddenly, the blizzard whirling around him clears and he’s on top of a slight hill, still knee deep in snow, the dual moons shining down on him as he looks around. Through the trees in the distance, he spots some movement, something bright and colourful against the dark trees. Something that feels familiar and makes his chest ache. He reaches out, almost instinctively and as he opens his mouth to call out, everything goes black.</p><p>He wakes suddenly, in a panic and sweating, but also so, so cold. Leo hardly even registers where he’s going as he stumbles out of his bed and out, out of his room, out of the house. He beelines to the small sanctuary he had built for his bear companion. The massive black bear rouses at the sound of someone nearing, raising his lumbering head up, blinking sleepily and grumbling.</p><p>Leo nearly trips over his legs as he plops down hard on his knees and buries his face into the bear’s side, gripping at the warm fur, a hard, sharp ache in his chest and tears bubbling down his cheeks. </p><p>“I’m sorry, Łshin,” he blubbers out, “It hurts. I don’t understand. I just…”</p><p>Łshin rumbles and shifts, nudging the small man with his snout. Leo lets the bear move him, curling up against the bear’s side, just like they had back when they first met, all those months ago. Łshin rumbles again and lets Leo rest his head on one of his paws, resting his own head on the other and falls back to sleep.</p><p>The young man feels his breathing evening out and looks up from his spot against the bear. The moons shine in the sky, full and bright, lighting the area slightly. </p><p>“What are you trying to tell me?” His voice is soft, slightly strained and rough, “I don’t understand. I know he followed you, are you the one making me dream of the moons and of… of him?”</p><p>No reply comes from the night sky and he sighs, the ache now dull, but still there and throbbing. He nustles in closer to his dearest friend just as the exhaustion hits and once more, he falls asleep.</p><p>He wakes to find himself once more laying the snow, but this time it doesn’t hurt. The cold doesn’t bite at him. He sits up, his hair blowing up with a sudden updraft. The moons shine above, seemingly even closer than usual, with ribbons of green and pink dancing around them.</p><p>“You had some questions for me?”</p><p>Leo swivels around at the voice, his eyes wide. Behind him a several feet away, a young woman appears. Her skin is a deep blue, white freckles scattered like stars all over where her skin is exposed from the lace and silk gown draped over her figure. She seems to almost float, her thick, white curls floating around her face and her shoulders, curling down around her hips. Her eyes are soft, blue, surround by thick, white lashes. </p><p>The young man finds himself unable to speak for a moment before he finds his voice.</p><p>“You’re… the Moonweaver, Sehanine?”</p><p>She laughs, a gentle, playful sound, her lips curling up into a smile, “I am.”</p><p>Leo blinks, “It’s… an honour to meet you. I, uh, I’ve been dreaming of the moon a lot recently.”</p><p>“I know,” She drifts closer, Leo now realising she truly is floating, her feet not once touching the ground, “I’m the one sending those dreams after all, I wanted to get your attention.”</p><p>“You… wanted <i>my</i> attention?”</p><p>She nods, pulling her knees up as if sitting, the skirt of her dress curling around her legs and down, trailing to the ground, “I have a small message of sorts to deliver.”</p><p>Leo turns his body to fully face the Goddess, his eyes wide, “What is it?”</p><p>“Your dear friend-” the Moonweaver waves her hand and to the right of her, a window appears showing a familiar forest- “Is here. I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Find a way to contact an old friend, one who found you at your lowest point.”</p><p>Leo opens his mouth, his heart beating fast in his chest, but before he can speak, the Goddess before him drops her legs and is suddenly right before him, her hand on his cheek, “That is all I can say right now. I’ve watched you since you met him. This is my gift to you.”</p><p>The Moonweaver removes her hand from Leo’s cheek and he feels his body grow heavy and his vision dips back into black.</p><p>Once more, he’s woken with a start. Łshin grumbles and lifts his head, bumping Leo with his nose. The young man blinks, thoughts whirling around his head. </p><p>“An old friend? Who have we met? Shakastë, in Alfield, Kiri, in the swamps, Cali as well, Keg, right after the others were… Nila, after we…”</p><p>His eyes widen and he jumps to his feet, Łshin whining as he loses his headrest. Leo feels his hands shake as he gets tunnel vision, rushing back into the house, trying hard to be careful of the chimes Caduceus installed above the door. He runs up the stairs, somehow managing the take two at a time. Nott and Jester. He needs both of them.</p><p>He goes to Jester and Beau’s room first, stopping himself right outside their door, taking a breath. He slowly opens the door, slipping in when there’s just enough room for him to slide in. Jester and Beau both still seem to be asleep as he approaches the tiefling. He reaches a hand out, resting it on her shoulder, and shakes her shoulder gently.</p><p>“Jester,” He whispers, “Jester, wake up.”</p><p>The blue tiefling grumbles and rolls over, her face scrunching up and one eye cracks open, “What? It’s early.”</p><p>“I need your message. I think, I, I don’t know. I was just visited by the Moonweaver, it had to do with Molly and I… I don’t know, but I need you to send a message to someone. I’m gonna go wake Nott,” Leo spills out in a rush, fumbling over his words. </p><p>Jester rubs her eyes and sits up a little, “I think I have another message I can send.”</p><p>Leo gives her arm a squeeze, “Thank you. I’ll go wake Nott, meet us up at the tree.”</p><p>He waits a beat as Jester blinks up at him and nods, yawning and stretches her arms. He slips back out and makes his way through to Nott and Yeza’s room. He slowly cracks the door, waiting after each inch, listening to make sure they’re asleep and not actually fucking. He pokes his head in after not hearing any laboured breathing and rocking of the bed and is immediately met with Nott sitting up, her ears picked up and staring right at him.</p><p>Leo jumps, swinging the door open a little by accident, “Fuck. Sorry, Nott, I need your help.”</p><p>Nott skitters out of bed and over to the door, pushing Leo out of the doorway and closes it afterly behind her, then looks up at Leo.</p><p>“What do you want?”</p><p>Leo grabs her hand and pulls her, “I need you to disguise yourself to look like Nila. Jester’s going to send a message to her. I need to ask her something right away.”</p><p>Nott lets herself get drug over to the stairs and up, grumbling about being woken up.</p><p>Jester sits under the tree, cross legged and nearly drifting back off to sleep, looking up at Leo and Nott as they both make their way over. Leo plops down in front of Jester, his knee bouncing the moment he sits. </p><p>“Okay. Nott’s gonna disguise herself as a firbolg we met who helped us get into the Iron Shepard’s hold. Her name is Nila. I need you to ask her about Molly. Ask if she’s seen him or knows anything. I don’t think she knows his name, so just ask about a purple tiefling. She saw us bury him, she knows what he looks like,” Leo rushes out, his knee bouncing and his hands shaking.</p><p>Jester’s face drops, her eyes almost watering and a sadness washing over her features, “Oh, Leo… What does she look like?”</p><p>Leo elbows Nott.</p><p>“Ow, what the fuck?”</p><p>“Shift into Nila, so Jester can send a message.”</p><p>Nott looks over at Leo, a similar sadness on her face, though a little harder to detect, but soon it’s replaced with Nila’s. A very small Nila, but still the same, gentle looking firbolg. Jester nods and Leo holds his hands up, just like Fjord does every time Jester sends message around all of them.</p><p>“Hello Nila. My name is Jester, a friend of Leo’s. He wanted to know if you’ve seen a purple tiefling. Sorry for sending so late.”</p><p>Leo nods and they all wait. Nott changes back to herself and sits next to Jester. Leo’s knee bounces harder, his hands twisting together as they wait. And wait. And wait.</p><p>Then Jester’s eyes widen.</p><p>A beat later, tears form in her eyes and she slaps her hands to her mouth, a choked sound coming out of her throat. Leo leans forward, feeling tears prick at his own eyes and he grasps Jester’s knee, his hands trembling.</p><p>Jester moves her hands just enough to speak.</p><p>“She, she says he’s there. He’s alive.”</p><p>Leo chokes on a sob, the tears dripping heavy down his face as a smile breaks across his mouth and he sits for a moment, processing.</p><p>“We… we need to get him,” Leo’s voice feels far away from himself, everything feeling strange.</p><p>He stands, his knees wobbling and stumbles quickly to the stairs, Nott and Jester hot on his heels. He goes straight down both flights of stairs and bursts into the library, heading towards Caleb’s room, but fumbles to a stop when he spots the wizard in one of the high back chairs in the library, the one facing the door.</p><p>“Caleb,” Leo speaks in a rush, not even waiting to catch his breath, “We need to go to the forest right now, where Nila lives, the, the, the, Guiatao Clan. They, they, Molly, he’s… How do we get there? You can only go to Nicodranas and Asarius. It’d take a month to get there from Nicodranas, we don’t have the time…”</p><p>Jester comes up behind him, panting and squeezing around him, “Molly’s alive.”</p><p>“Yes, yes, he’s, he’s with Nila and her family, they found him, he’s okay. We need get to him, we need to bring him home,” Leo fumbles, his hands shaking even more, “But how do we get there, it’d take too long.”</p><p>From the chair facing away from the door, another figure stands, his body shifting around. Essek looks down at the disheveled group, “You need to be somewhere fast? Why, that’s my specialty.”</p><p>Leo’s eyes widen, tears making his brown eyes glossy, “Your specialty? I… I’ll pay you, I’ll give you all I have. I need to get there right now, as soon as I can. Molly, he…”</p><p>Essek holds a hand up, “Calm down, it’s alright. Where is this person?”</p><p>Caleb stand, “Wait, Mollymauk is… alive?”</p><p>Leo nods, “In the forest, the one where we found that old woman firbolg and the young boy… Jumnda and Ombo. He’s with them and Nila and the remainder of their clan. Nott disguised herself as Nila and Jester messaged Nila, and she said that he’s with them. We need to get him back with us.”</p><p>Caleb, furrows his brows and shakes his head, “We buried him. You and I, we watched him get run through and bleed out. He’s dead.”</p><p>“And he’s come back before,” Leo pleads his voice breaking, “Molly means so much to all of us, to me, I have to go. I have to see him. I have to have him back.”</p><p>“And you don’t think I don’t want that?” Caleb raises his voice slightly, “How do we know it’s true?”</p><p>“The Moonweaver told me!” Leo says, “She told me herself to talk to Nila. You don’t have to go, I’ll go just myself. But, I <i>need</i> to make sure it’s him. I need this, Caleb.”</p><p>“If he’s alive, then why hasn’t he contacted us?” Caleb throws his hands up, “We left a note with his body, he would have tried to contact us.”</p><p>Leo throws his hands up in an irritated shrug and slaps them back to his sides and turns to Essek, “Give me five minutes, I’m gonna go get dressed and get my bow.” </p><p>Leo turns and rushes back up the stairs, throwing his night clothes off and shoving his usual clothes on, slinging his quiver and bow over his shoulder. He skips stairs as he goes back down, a hair tie in his mouth and his hands tucking his shirt into his pants.</p><p>He looks back up to Essek, pulling the tie from his mouth and pulling his hair back into some semblance of a messy, loose bun, “How does this work?”</p><p>Essek float over, closer to the smaller man, “I just need to know where we need to go. I’ll be with you and then I can bring you both back here.”</p><p>“Crispvale Thicket, near Glory Run Road.”</p><p>Jester pops into the doorway, startling Leo as the young man hadn’t even noticed her missing from the room, a map in her hands. She opens it and points at the area Leo mentioned.</p><p>Essek frowns, but nods, “Alright. Let me change my appearance to not… draw attention in the Empire.” </p><p>Leo bobs on his feet, his hands clutching at the strap of his quiver as Essek’s dark skin shifts into a pale peach, his hair turning from stark white to a dark blond.</p><p>“Alright. Are you ready?”</p><p>The young man nods and steps a little closer, and watches as Essek’s hand pulls from his cloak and draws some intricate runes in the air, whisps of magic flowing from his fingers and suddenly they’re both in black space, floating. Pain wracks through Leo’s body and he whimpers but bites his lip as white blinds him and he then finds himself on a familiar, painful road.</p><p>He pants out, his body aching for a moment and looks up at Essek, “Is it always painful?”</p><p>Essek grunts and clenches his jaw before straightening out, “No, I apologise.”</p><p>“No worries, it wasn’t that bad. Just wasn’t expecting it. Anyway…”</p><p>Leo takes a moment, refreshing himself with the area. Flashes of chasing the caravan, felling a tree, launching an ambush, watching Molly fall, all hit him and his chest tightens. It’s night, but he finds himself decently and remembers the direct of where Jumnda was staying.</p><p>“This way. We’re looking for a group of firbolgs. They live in these woods. I know the general direction.”</p><p>He starts down the road, walking quickly and only glancing behind for a moment to make sure Essek is following, which he is at a few paces back. Leo continues, keeping an eye for a flicker of a campfire. After a while of traveling, he spots it through the woods, in a familiar area. His heart leaps to his throat and he veres off into the brush, not even caring how stealthy he is.</p><p>The camp comes into view, a familiar little abode with a small campfire burn and a familiar firbolg woman standing at the pot above the fire. She startles at Leo pushing through the bush. He lights up at seeing Nila, a smile breaking across his face.</p><p>“Nila!”</p><p>The firbolg smiles back, opening her arms wide as Leo rushes over and hugs her around the middle.</p><p>“Oh, it’s so good to see you again, Leo.”</p><p>Leo pulls away and looks up at her, “How are Asar and Kitor doing? Better?”</p><p>“Much. All thanks to you and your friends. I cannot begin to ever thank you enough,” Nila rubs Leo’s head, “But I imagine you are here for that friend of yours?”</p><p>Leo’s heart skips a beat and he doesn’t trust his voice at the moment so he merely nods. Nila smiles at him and steps back, heading towards the small home then gestures for Leo to follow. The young man makes his way over quickly, his hands shaking, Essek trailing behind silently.</p><p>There’s a small amount of light in the home and it’s a lot larger than it seems from the outside with two more doors on the back wall leading further into other areas of the home. The room holds a low table in the centre with many cushions and pillows scattered across the floor around it. Across the cushions, Ombo and Asar sit, both enraptured by a figure sitting with their back to the door. Leo’s heart leaps into this throat and he feels tears drip down his cheeks.</p><p>Both children look up at the door, causing the figure to turn their head towards the door as well, the jewelry on their horns jingling softly, like a windchime. Solid red eyes meet Leo’s watery brown eyes. </p><p>“Molly…”</p><p>Leo takes a hesitant step forward as Mollymauk Tealeaf stands, patting down his pants and stepping carefully over the pillows, his tail swishing behind him. The smaller man takes another step, stopping just in front of the tiefling. He reaches a hand out but freezes halfway.</p><p>“Do you…” his voice cracks, “Do you remember me?”</p><p>Silence follows as Molly closes his eyes and furrows his brows. Leo can hear his heartbeat in his ears, breathing difficult and his hands trembling.</p><p>“Leonardo.”</p><p>The human sobs, a smile on his lips.</p><p>Molly opens his eyes and a smile pulls at his lips, showing his sharp teeth, as he gazes down to the smaller man, his tail finding its way towards one of his legs.</p><p>“We danced together, in a tavern in Hupperdook. We sang and danced and we were drunk. Well, I was drunk, you were quite sobber since you didn’t take part in that bloody drinking game we won.”</p><p>Leo chokes on another sob as he launches himself into Molly’s torso, crying hard.</p><p>“I’ve missed you so much, Molly. God, I’ve missed you. I’m sorry it took so long.”</p><p>Arms find their way around Leo and a hand brushes his hair as Molly curls his body over Leo’s, his tail wrapping around one of his legs. Leo’s hands grip at the thick fabrics of Molly’s clothes, the texture similar to Nila’s clothes. The young man pulls away just enough to look up at the tiefling, tears still dripping down his cheeks. Molly brings his hands to Leo’s face, using his thumbs to wipe the tears as Leo brings his hands up to hold Molly’s wrists gently.</p><p>“I’m sorry we couldn’t save you. I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough, I’m sorry we didn’t get the cages unlocked, I’m sorry, I should have been there, I should have been closer, I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough, I’m-”</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey, hush, it’s okay,” Molly cuts Leo off gently, “I’m okay now. I’m here.”</p><p>Leo whimpers, and leans into the touch of Molly’s hands on his cheeks, “How much do you remember? Just these two years? Or… Lucien too?”</p><p>“It’s still foggy in places. But, no, there’s still nothing of Lucien, Nonagon, whoever that man was.”</p><p>“I…” Leo bites his lip, closing his eyes, “I need to know it’s you. What… what did you tell Nott? About who to steal from?”</p><p>There’s a short pause. Thumps trace circles on Leo’s cheeks.</p><p>“Only steal from grumpy and cruel people.”</p><p>A huge smile breaks out on Leo’s face, fresh tears welling up in his eyes as he opens them again. </p><p>“I missed you so much, Mollymauk.” He pauses a moment, “Why did you contact us? We wrote you a letter?”</p><p>Molly grins and leans down, “I can’t read.”</p><p>Leo smiles, laughing and pats Molly’s wrists, bowing his head and turning to look at Essek, then back to Molly, “Let’s get you home.”</p><p>Essek turns and heads back out, crouching down to start drawing something on the ground. Leo goes over to Nila, never letting go of Molly’s hand.</p><p>“Thank you, Nila,” Leo says, trying to wipe the tears from his cheeks, “I think we’re even now. We got you your beloveds back, you got mine back.”</p><p>Nila smiles softly and pats Leo on the head, “Of course. Tell the others that I said hello.”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Asar comes up, a bag in his hands as he hands it to Molly. Molly crouches down and takes it, rubbing the top of the firbolg’s head.</p><p>“I am just about ready. Let’s go, Leonardo.” Essek calls from outside.</p><p>Leo smiles once more at Nila, “If you ever need anything, send a letter to the Lavish Chateau, in Nicodranas. I’ll be able to get it. Thank you, again, for taking care of him.”</p><p>Nila nods, “Of course.”</p><p>And with that, Leo tugs Molly out, towards Essek, who waits, ready to draw the final rune. Leo holds Molly’s hand, giving it a squeeze as the runes flare to life and he leads the tiefling through, Essek stepping in moment after.</p><p>Molly stumbles into Leo as they find themselves in the transportation chamber under the Bright Queen’s castle. Essek drops his disguise, taking his original drow appearance, then turns to Leo.</p><p>“I shall escort you both out, then I will take my leave.”</p><p>Leo nods, “Thank you. Really, Essek. I am indebted to you.”</p><p>The drow nods and glides forward, leading Leo and Molly out fo the castle, Molly’s grip tightening around Leo’s hand despite his nonchalant demeanour. Once they are both out into the darken streets of Rosohna, Leo waves Essek off, thanking the man again as they part.</p><p>The moment they’re out of earshot, Molly leans down, “Kindly, what the fuck is happening?”</p><p>Leo laughs a little as he guides Molly down the streets, his other hand reaching into his bag for the Bright Queen’s symbol, “Yeah, uh, we returned the dodecahedron to the Bright Queen of the Kryn Dynasty and she gave us a house in thanks and we’re now ‘Heroes of the Dynasty’. So yeah, we’re in Rosohna, the capital of Xhorhas. It’s always night here, but Caduceus made a giant tree on the top of our house and he and Jester made these fancy little daylight enchanted lights. It’s really pretty.”</p><p>“Who is Caduceus?”</p><p>“Oh, yeah. He also helped us get into the Iron Shepherds, he was living alone in this really pretty grave yard his family overlooked for generations and then just decided to tag along. He’s really sweet, he’s this bright pink firbolg and he’s super tall, like a foot and a half taller than Fjord. </p><p>“Speaking of, Fjord absorbed another orb while we were pirates and can control water now but I think the deity he’s a patron of is kinda actually evil. Jester’s organising this meetup with all the other Traveler worshippers and her spiritual weapon lollypop has spikes on it, Caleb’s crazy strong now and shot a fireball at all of us while we were in a cave, Nott’s married and has a son, Beau ripped the heart out of a demonic minotaur thing with her bare hands and Yasha fought some weird lightning person that her God sent to attack her or maybe <i>was</i> her God, that’s still a little unclear.”</p><p>“That’s… a lot.”</p><p>“It’s been a crazy few months. Oh also, we got a dog. Anyway, here it is! The Xhorhaus.”</p><p>Leo slows, letting Molly take it all in. </p><p>His red eyes widen, “This… is where we live?”</p><p>Leo nods, “Yep. Essek, the guy who transported us here, his den, Den Thelyss, gifted it to us. Caduceus, Jester and I went absolutely nuts on decorating. Caddie had this little leaf thing that basically would instantly spawn a 60 foot tree and then the two of them made a hot spring at the bottom of the tower too. I mostly painted here and there, like my room and Łshin’s little sanctuary.”</p><p>Molly nods, still taking it all in as Leo pulls him towards the gates, and through the threshold, the chimes Caduceus installing ringing through the house. There’s a pause, before a stampede of steps round the corner, Jester and Nott at front.</p><p>Leo waves, biting his lip as he steps to the side a little to reveal the purple tiefling. </p><p>“Molly!” Jester yells, sprinting forwards and throwing his arms around Molly, pulling Leo into the hug as well. </p><p>Leo feels another set of smaller arms as Nott makes her way over and his vision is partially obscured by Caleb’s front as he joins the hug then fully obscured by Beau. Another shift and he assumes Fjord joined on the other side. The group gets lifted as Yasha joins, and Leo can hear a soft noise from her, a soft sob.</p><p>Sobs and laughter fills the entryway. Nugget woofs and Leo can hear his claws hitting the wood floor as he bounces around them and Łshin rumbles from somewhere behind them. Leo closes his eyes and finally everything is good. Everything is going to be okay.</p>
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